Criteria for student parents looking to enroll their child at the Children’s Learning Center (CLC):

• You must be a degree or certificate-seeking HCC student parent.
• You must be registered for 6 or more credits per semester while your child is enrolled in the CLC.
• You must be Pell-eligible. For questions regarding Pell grant eligibility, please contact Financial Aid Services.

Enrollment criteria for your child to be eligible to attend the Children's Learning Center (CLC):

• Your child must be six weeks old through 36 months old by September 1 of the current year to enroll in Early Head Start.
• Your child must be three years old by September 1 of the current year to enroll in Preschool classrooms.
• Your child must be four years old by September 1 of the current year to enroll in Prekindergarten.

Additional criteria may apply. Please visit the CAC's website to learn more.

The application, registration, and enrollment process for the Children’s Learning Center is managed by the Community Action Council, who will work with HCC to verify eligibility. Please visit the link below to apply.

Note: the application is universal in nature and not specific to HCC. Please indicate on the application that you are a student at Howard Community College.

APPLY HERE

The application process is detailed and requires your careful attention. To ensure you have ample time to complete all necessary steps, we strongly encourage you to start the application process as early as possible. By beginning early, you can avoid any last-minute stress and ensure that your application is thoroughly and accurately completed.

• The Parent Scholars Program is a formal, structured cohort that can assist student parents in managing the obligations of work, school, and family. The Program offers support for single parents, such as scholarships to help with textbook costs and transportation costs for single parents, while coordinating with the CAC to secure off campus resources such as legal, medical, housing, food, and career clothing assistance.
• HCC offers family-friendly campus facilities, such as the Family Study Room.
• In partnership with HCC, the Howard County Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) and the Columbia Housing Center (CHC) has created a subsidy to assist low- to moderate-income college students with house needs for up to two years while obtaining their higher education. To find out if you qualify, please contact Financial Aid Services.
• HCC’s Fueling Dragons program offers resources for food and nutrition assistance, from an on-campus food pantry to recipes, video tutorials, and workshops to assist student parents who experience food insecurity. 
• Mental Health Counseling Services provides a safe, confidential, non-judgmental space where students can feel free to explore a wide variety of concerns and issues. 
• The Wellness Center empowers students to make informed decisions about their health, ultimately enhancing their well-being and quality of life. The Center provides a variety of wellness services, hosts engaging workshops, runs awareness/outreach events, and offers educational materials and referrals as needed. 

HCC student parents also have access to multiple community-based resources to help with daily living needs and wrap-around services such as food and housing assistance, mental health and counseling, job placement, and legal assistance. 

We all have different needs, wants, responsibilities, and challenges. For every reason you believe you can't reach your dream — Howard Community College says, yes you can!